She glances at my cut. “Must be that bump on the head.”
I stare at her for a second before answering, my mind completely scrambled by how beautiful she looks. “Must be.”
We lock eyes and something shifts in the air. A possibility hangs in the air between us. Then I clear my throat and say, “Well, we should get some sleep.”
“Yup. Good idea,” she says, turning away and getting into bed.
Without undressing, I settle myself on a chair, then shut off the flashlight. Instantly, any hint of light is sucked out of the plane, and we’re left in complete darkness as the rain patters away outside. I lay my head back against the seat, knowing I’m going to be sore by morning. But at least we’re alive.
Paige’s voice cuts through the black air. “Good night, Mac.”
“Good night, New York.”
I close my eyes and give myself a good lecture on the importance of keeping things professional. Just when I’ve convinced myself, she says, “Mac?”
My heart pounds at her voice, and I open my eyes, hoping for something I know I shouldn’t be wanting. “Yeah?”
“Do you have anyone waiting for you at home?”
For a second, I think this might be her way of finding out if I’m single, but then she adds, “Someone who’ll send out the Coast Guard?”
A wave of disappointment comes over me, but I push it away because the last thing I should be is disappointed. “I have a gecko who lives on my porch. His name is Steve, but I don’t think he knows how to use the phone.”
“Oh,” she says, and there’s something sad about the way she says it.
“And don’t go feeling sorry for me. My life is exactly the way I want it.”
“I’m not sad. I just want to be rescued.”
“Oh, right. Okay,” I answer, feeling a little sheepish about my reaction. “I’ve also got my grandpa, Jack. I usually go see him a few times a week. I bring whatever I caught that day and we eat supper and watch sports.”
“That sounds nice.”
“It is.”
“Will he assume something is wrong if you don’t show up?”
“It’ll take a while because he’s used to me taking off without telling him. But yeah, after a week or so, he’ll start to wonder.”
“A week? Will he go looking for you then?”
“Nah, he’ll just wonder for a good long time. But eventually…”
“And he’s the only person? What about a neighbor or a sibling or your parents?”
“I don’t have any neighbors that live nearby, I’m an only child, and my parents are dead.”
“So, no then.”
“Yup. It’s a no. I’m sorry you didn’t crash with someone with a bigger social circle.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“I know. I’m just giving you a hard time. Don’t worry about it.” Silence fills the air, then I add, “Someone will find us.”
“For sure,” she says, even though I can tell she doesn’t believe it. We’re both quiet for a second, then when she speaks again, her words are quiet. “Do you think they went ahead with the wedding without me?”
Urgh. “No. I’m sure they dropped everything when you didn’t arrive and got straight to work trying to find you.”
